WRIGHT IN THERE: David Wright (sliding safely into second during last night’s 6-5 win as the ball eludes Braves shortstop Paul Janish) isn’t going anywhere, but the Post’s Ken Davidoff says the Mets need to think about dealing Scott Hairston, who could bring future help from a contender. (Paul J. Bereswill)
The Mets have yet to place Scott Hairston on waivers this month, according to an industry source, which makes sense. It figures that the Mets want to reap the benefits of Hairston for a while longer before putting him through the waivers process, at which time they’ll have a decision to make.
That time will come by Aug. 31, and really, the Mets’ decision should be simple. If they want to send the correct message to their fans, they’ll trade the righty-hitting outfielder.
The Mets must cease worrying about small goals such as finishing at .500 or better, or keeping their fans mildly interested through the regular season. Given where they are in their development — in need of myriad key pieces — they need to think about a bigger picture.
And Hairston is the one player whose value could be maximized at this juncture of the season.
Now, to be clear, I am flip-flopping on this issue like an experienced politician. On July 31, the non-waivers trade deadline, I advocated holding onto Hairston and seeing whether the 32-year-old could help the Mets stay interesting.
I specifically mentioned how meaningful it would be to post a .500 record or better; consider that, if Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington all retain their current winning marks, the Mets could be tied with Houston and Cleveland for the second-worst current string of consecutive losing campaigns, with four. The Royals are on pace for an eighth straight sub-.500 season, which would set the new bar.
So what has changed in less than two weeks? In that time, the Mets — 55-60 after they held on for last night’s wild 6-5 win over the Braves at Citi Field — have displayed zero indication they are capable of even a moderate run. They lost series to Miami and San Diego, both of whom own worse records than the Mets. Johan Santana’s brutal start Saturday on his return from the disabled list casts doubt over what the Mets can get the rest of the year from their fallen ace.
Now is not the time to shop young players under control, such as Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy and Josh Thole. Those are winter trade possibilities; you want to engage all teams in players like that.
As an impending free agent, Hairston is different. He can parachute in to a contender and help — enough, the Mets can hope, that a claiming club would be willing to give up a lower-tiered prospect. A warm body with potential.
Hairston surely will get claimed in the waivers process, given his production this season (14 homers, a .925 OPS against lefty pitchers) and his low salary ($1.1 million). Unless the claiming team is willing to give up absolutely nothing — if the team claimed Hairston to block another team from getting him, in other words — Hairston should be an ex-Met by Sept. 1. Shoot, if the Mets like him that much, they can bring him back for 2013 over the winter.
Manager Terry Collins spoke yesterday about the importance of winning games the rest of the way.
“I think [winning and development] go hand in hand, to be honest,” he said. “It’s one of the things I used to do as a minor-league manager. Everybody talked about, if you had players in the minor leagues, get the players better. Don’t worry about their record. You’ve got to teach them how to win.
“Our young players up here, they’re still learning how to win here. I think winning games are important. I don’t want any of these guys to walk out of here and be satisfied with the fact that, if we finish the year below .500, ‘I got my chance to play and I proved I can play in the big leagues.’ You’ve got to prove you can win up here. That’s ultimately is what it’s all about.”
All true, and Hairston — who didn’t play last night against the Braves, who started right-hander Ben Sheets, and who entered last night with a low .549 OPS in August — might help the 2012 Mets more than some marginal prospect ever helps the future Mets.
Again, though, this would be about a greater purpose. About recognizing that smart fans take no joy in minor accomplishments. And that sustained runs result from sacrifices made in the construction phase.